Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
String of Wildfires Takes Toll on Texas Firefighters
Sep 12 2011 // The flames of the massive wildfire that had swallowed nearly 1,400 homes in Central Texas had been tamed, but Webster Fire Chief Patrick Shipp and his crew — veterans of a fire season pushing his team to the limit —...
Georgia Tornado Damage Estimated at $15M
Sep 12 2011 // Authorities estimate that a recent tornado and strong storms in north Georgia inflicted at least $15 million in damage. Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said that the damage estimate was preliminary and could grow as...
Texas Wildfires Evacuees Anxious to Return Home
Sep 11 2011 // After spending nearly a week wondering whether his home had been destroyed in massive wildfires sweeping across Central Texas, George Gaydos got the news Sept. 10: His house had burned down in the blaze. But Gaydos — who...
9/11 and Terrorism Risk 10 Years Later
Sep 9 2011 // The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks forever changed how the insurance industry views terrorism risk, says Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute. For the global insurance and reinsurance...
Hurricane Center Tracking 3 Atlantic Storms: Katia, Maria and Nate
Sep 8 2011 // It’s a busy time of year for the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The NHC is currently following one hurricane – Katia, and two tropical storms – Maria and Nate. Katia is following the previously forecast...
Irene Raises Hurricane Deductible Questions in Hard-Hit Northeast States
Sep 7 2011 // New York and New Jersey regulators said recently that hurricane deductibles should not apply on homeowners’ insurance policies for Irene damages in their states. That’s because Irene was downgraded and...
UPDATE: Killer Typhoon Talas Brings More Misery to Japan
Sep 7 2011 // Japan braced for more heavy rain and floods Monday as the death toll from the worst typhoon to hit the country in seven years climbed to 34. Rescuers searched for 55 others who remained missing, and tens of thousands of...
Hurricane Center Reports Katia Weakens; Tropical Depression 14 Forms
Sep 7 2011 // The 5:00 a.m. AST bulletin from the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that Hurricane Katia has weakened somewhat. It is now a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale with maximum sustained winds...
Wildfires Burn Across Texas; Weekend Losses Expected to Top $100M
Sep 6 2011 // While Tropical Storm Lee drenched Southeast Louisiana with up to 15 inches of rain over the weekend, the low pressure system whipped up strong northwesterly winds across Texas that are blamed for the rapid spread of...
Hurricane Katia Now Expected to Miss East Coast
Sep 6 2011 // Hurricane Katia powered up to a major Category 4 storm Monday, but was expected to veer away from the U.S. East Coast later this week, avoiding a direct hit on a seaboard already battered by Hurricane Irene. The U.S....
Typhoon Talas Kills At Least 15 As It Passes Japan
Sep 6 2011 // Heavy rains and mudslides from powerful Typhoon Talas killed at least 15 people in Japan as the storm moved northward past the country Sunday. At least 43 others are missing, local media said. [Ed. Note – latest...
After Drenching New Orleans, Tropical Storm Lee Threatens Southeast
Sep 5 2011 // After testing New Orleans’ flood defenses over the weekend, Tropical Storm Lee moved northeast Monday after weakening to a tropical depression, and threatened to bring heavy rains and flooding to a large section of...
‘Old’ East Coast Shows Cracks After Earthquake
Sep 5 2011 // There was a crack in the Washington Monument, and capstones were broken at the National Cathedral. In the District of Columbia suburbs, some people stayed in shelters because of structural concerns at their apartment...
Legislative Changes Aim to Limit Texas Windstorm Lawsuits
Sep 5 2011 // Legislative changes to the operation of Texas’ primary property insurer in coastal areas that go into effect Sept. 28, 2011, include an increased focus on mediation and arbitration of disputed windstorm claims and a...
Terrorism 10 Years After
Sep 5 2011 // Ten years after the events of Sept. 11, 2011, terrorism remains a significant risk both globally and within the United States. The need to be vigilant against those who would harm innocent people in the name of whatever...
California Earthquake Authority Bond Issue a ‘First Step’
Sep 5 2011 // Officials with the California Earthquake Authority said that their recent $150-million bond issue is just a first step in diversifying their risk so that they can expand earthquake coverage in the state. “It is just...
Fitch: Hurricane Irene Losses Manageable
Sep 2 2011 // Hurricane Irene, while inflicting severe economic damage, will come in far behind the most severe storms to strike United States in recent years, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings. At over $45 billion of insured...
Typhoon Talas Heading for Japan
Sep 2 2011 // A report from catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, notes that Typhoon Talas, which formed in the western Pacific on the 25th of August, is the 12th named storm of the 2011, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency...
Tornado Has Cost Insurance $2.2B So Far in Joplin, Missouri
Sep 1 2011 // The tornado that devastated Joplin in May is expected to cost insurance companies about $2.2 billion. Property Claims Services, which determines insurance payouts for catastrophes, said that figure includes payouts already...
Alabama Governor Names Tornado Recovery Panel
Sep 1 2011 // Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley chose the president and CEO of Protective Life Corp., Johnny Johns, and the publisher of The Birmingham News, Pam Siddall, this week to lead his Tornado Recovery Action Council. Bentley...
